Indeed it is. Contracts signed on Tuesday, movers called on Wednesday. Loyalty is so yesterday.

“That's for you to say,” he said. “What am I supposed to do? There are two sides to this.”

He wasn't exactly pleased about the topic. All he had done was negotiate the same deal any of us would have wanted. He had gotten the kind of deal that's standard in college football.

He loves UH, he wants to be an UH, but he also has an out. He hasn't used that out or even discussed the possibility of using that out.

All he has done is dedicate himself to building a first-rate program at UH. And yet …

“What kind of question is that?” he asked. “It's like somebody at a wedding ceremony saying, 'Hey, you think this thing is going to work out?' “

That's exactly the question Cougars fans should be asking themselves. In the end, they could be the ones who decide how long he stays. We'll get to the tough-love portion of this column later.

Still only No. 3 in C-USA

What UH did Monday was reward Sumlin for two solid seasons by bumping his salary from $700,000 to $1 million. In the end, that's all that happened. Everything else was talk.

He's a bargain considering he still will be only the third-highest-paid coach in Conference USA and will make half the money June Jones is getting from SMU. He won't crack the top 50 nationally.

And six years means nothing. Athletic director Mack Rhoades said the deal could be revisited annually and, most importantly, it includes a very modest $600,000 buyout to call the whole thing off.

If Florida or LSU comes calling after next season, Sumlin might be gone faster than you can say Lane Kiffin.

“That's part of the business,” Rhoades said. “You have to live with that. All you can do is the very best you can. Hopefully, there's something to be said for a relationship and a trust in each other in terms of the head coach and AD.”

Stadium issue crucial

Rhoades did the best he could. He included several performance bonuses in the deal and agreed to reduce the escape clause by $100,000 if the stadium improvement project isn't under way a year from now.

“The main thing is we have a vision, a goal,” Rhoades said. “We're working hard. Everybody is focused on that same vision.”

Now all he has to do is cross his fingers and pray. The bottom line for UH is that Kevin Sumlin is the best thing to happen to the program in a long, long time.

He has gone 18-9 in two years and had the Cougars ranked as high as 12th this season after victories over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Just about every school seeking a coach had him on its short list, and around the country almost no one expects him to be at UH very long.

This is where the relationship that Rhoades spoke of comes into play. And that vision thing. UH Chancellor and President Dr. Renu Khator said a first-rate football program is part of her plans for UH. Signing Sumlin is a start, but UH needs more money, better facilities, more money, higher attendance, more money.

That means you, Coog fan. Get out those checkbooks. Buy those season tickets. Show you care. Either show you care or stop complaining you're never mentioned in the same breath as Texas and A&M.

UH averaged 20,871 fans a game in Art Briles' final season. This season, attendance was only modestly better at 24,241. The University of Texas is believed to have 32,000 season-ticket holders in the Houston area.

Until UH raises more cash, until UH begins the stadium project, UH is going to remain a minor league program in a minor league conference. And Sumlin probably won't be around long.

But Monday was a step in another direction. This season was a glimpse into what UH someday could be. Robertson Stadium was full and rocking for the victory over Tech. It was the way college football should be.

Part of a grander plan

Sumlin is the best advertisement for UH football, and the best selling point Rhoades has in his fund-raising. And for now, he's staying.

“I believe in Dr. Khator's vision because I know what she wants,” Sumlin said. “I know the type of university she's looking for and the type of on-campus life she's looking for. And football is a part of that. It's a chance to be part of that growth.”

Whether Sumlin stays another year or another 10 years, his contract was the first of many necessary steps to put Cougars football back on the map. That's what Monday was about.

“I just love him. He's the best,” Khator said of Sumlin. “His personal values, his integrity, he's absolutely a role model.”